BTG_Fan1

Have we accounted for the BS that were given out? Roberts the CB from OK, Hall the JUCO CB, Weatherspoon the OL from LD Bell, JUCO K/P that we picked up after the Punter from NSD wasn't able to make it to campus.. That is 4 BS (from the top of my head) and we had 19 out of 20 from NSD make it to campus.. I'm assuming (from my understanding) we are still able to move a BS like Weatherspoon from the 2018 class to the 2017 to as well? So we can use all 20 of the scholarships and open up a slot/BS in the 2018 class.

It should be a good win, and allows players to shake off the rust, and get the nerves out of the sytem. It's hopefully something that we can have a solid enough of a day that you get in some guys who likely will play a critical back up role and let them have an extended look (Griffen, Nic Smith, Darden?, the CB Johnson?, Davis?, Quinn/Izzy?) Honestly I feel that if we had had played BC then SMU we could have won both games. Against SMU we played way, way to hyped up and the guys made errors and mistakes. If they had been able to work out some of those (and maybe if Morris had gained some confidence/calmed down vs an openning game BC), errors then we don't have the turn over problem and the team can come back. Confidence and gaining momentum is huge. If we have a solid showing vs Lamar, it should help these guys vs SMU. If UNT can beat Lamar handly, and pull out a W vs SMU, that will be one heck of a start, and will be huge rolling into Iowa then back into town vs UAB.

Where is it? I'll toss it in the tweet thread that you did

It's been said that the players don't like the softball coach and a reason that a # of them have quit or moved on. (Believe the UNT Daily had the article) While I don't get it if the contract was up, by it's likely a keep the spot filled till WB can fill it.. I doubt it but maybe WBs choice to replace went someplace else or stuck where they were? We can worry about WBs ability to fire because he hasn't fired someone yet, but he made a solid addition in GM to replace Benford. ----------------------------- Does anyone know when the buyouts for the coaches and RV are finally off the books?

This is another example of why UNT is viewed as a very liberal arts school lol

The announcement was that McClain was a Thorpe award nom. It was likely something lead by the upper-class man.

This is when they need to put out a highlight tape of McClain... When we played at Army this past year, he was a heat seeking missile. Would be a nice recruiting thing for our DB recruits (where you at @GMG24 lol) Also, surprised that Jenkins didn't make the tail-end of the list, I believe he led/tied with the most Pick-6s in the nation. But he maybe hurt by not having the long track record of the other, I assume.

Its a good way to come out and get players settled down, and gives/builds confidence in what they do. The Nerves/Hype that the players seemed to play with vs SMU, if they had worked that off vs BC and then played SMU without the nerves/hype like they did BC it likely would have resulted in 2 wins and not 1. Even 1 or 2% from that 25 will be nice... When I worked at restaurant it was something like a customer would have to order 7 or 8 refills just to break even. Us by selling 1 soda you likely are making a 50% profit on it, the only question is what is the split with the organization that is running the stand? Only bad thing is if we mail out tickets, then we can't sale those if everyone no-shows. While we likely still wouldn't run out it look weird with 1 section that is completely empty, I'd offer them call and get the tickets at a Grad Student Will Call, or they can do it online and print them out for free. Heck offer them a tail-gate/meal in the super-pit and have NS/WB and the basketball coaches talk to them about the Goals/ Mission Statement for UNT Athletics.

How are recent grads that would redeem the tickets not invested in the program? The AD office isn't mailing out packets with tickets to every grad. Its likely a packet with information saying call this # and it you will be redeemed with 1 year of free season tickets at Will Call or something along those lines. The alumni that would be redeeming this offer would likely attend the games because they are contacting the ticket office. The reason why we low-ball the value of our sports programs is because of our history. I get the Buy Grad Season Tickets and park for free, but you can park on campus for free. Do something like Buy Grad Tickets and get free access to the Alumni Pavilion, or pre-game tailgates. If they buy Grad Season Tickets, show them the perks of buying the tickets. It does no damage at all. If anything I think it makes the players more pumped up seeing more people, and it shows to recruits that people do show up to UNT. Another good thing as well about football, is that even if people don't know/understand it, its pretty easy to know when to cheer, etc. I've brought this up before but will use a example that happened to me. The Southern Miss game, the AD Office offered up free seats to people who wanted them. Ended up with my parents getting 4 free tickets, 2 for them and they brought 2 family friends as well. To make a long story short, instead of UNT only making 40 bucks off tickets, the 5 of us ended up spending more on hot chocolate, nachos, etc at the concession stand at buying stuff from the team store. Also, it ended up on them deciding to get season tickets as well after the bowl game experience as well. While I do agree, its not a sexy match up like Bama-FSU but right now all UNT needs to do is get wins that qualify us for a bowl game. I don't care if we beat Lamar by 70 or if we beat UTSA by 1. Heck, I know many people will not like it on but I would like to see us have Lamar and someone else like Lamar (replace the body-bag game) and that gets us 2 wins and closer to a bowl game. The Portland State game honestly was a huge bombshell throughout the entire AD Program, and will take many, many years to recover. Alumni that came back to the game likely that were on the fringes of the program will likely not recover till we do something major. While I do agree that these FCS games do not help us, and that playing someone like Indiana or Kansas would be nice, right now for us to recover and change the view of UNT is to win. I think in 3 or 4 years after winning repeatedly then we can set those up. I do understand that we would prefer to get a W vs a Kansas than someone like Lamar, but it's down to how we think success is built. To me, I would rather play Lamar and Lamar XYZ (pick whatever FCS) and go 2-0 than go 1-1 vs Lamar and small p5. The end goal is to get to a bowl game, and to go to bowl games repeatedly. Giving away free season tickets to recent grads does not show it has 0 value at all... The students that get the tickets already know the value of a UNT game. By giving away tickets to the recent grads it should be apparent that they are doing it to increase the support from the alumni side of the fan base. Us giving them the tickets for free is showing them that UNT wants them to come back, and that having pride in UNT and being part of the UNT Family continues even after you graduate. The season tickets/tickets that are being redeemed by recent alumni are likely something like call this # and we will mail you the tickets, not them putting seat x in section section y and mailing them out to everyone. So its not like we are losing a # of seats likely. The tickets do have a value to the recent alumni that redeem them. Yes, some recent grads will in a year or 2 who got free season tickets will not renew when it costs money, but even if we get 5 % to renew because of the experience from the free ticket it is worth it. A free seat equals 0 profit now and will forever equal 0 in potential profit, but a free seat today could 0 profit in the future or it could lead to something. The free ticket has more potential than a unused seat. Potential solution would be offering free tickets to different local HS Jr/Srs. Sale UNT to the local kids and parents, and change the mindset that UNT is a backup school because its not on the same name brand level of a UT/AM/ etc. The students show up from say like 10-12 and groups of them go around the campus.... then at the end they can get a game ticket and sit in the wing.. We have enough open seats already that it will not make an impact within the next 2-3 years. In the mean time, we get more butts in the seats... A butt in a seat is a potential profit if its from food, team store or such a great experience it leads to season tickets, an open seat leads to nothing... To me, the potential earning power is in a free ticket over no free tickets. Sorry for the long rant

Hopefully will be a lot better in year 2 in terms of knowledge and adjustments. Have to stop the run. English will bring the passion to motivate and take them to the next level.

From what the school emails have said it sounds like fouts would become a parking lot, but down the road they would build something in its place.

Agreed, and hopefully he can be an asset as well when it comes to recruiting. He is putting out great works in terms of promo stuff, but would love to add someone who does just recruiting stuff... Do something like with Leblanc that he makes a sack, and the highlight shows flashes of UNT greats doing a similar play. It's honestly great to see these new things to us, but things are just the normal getting filled to get this program back on par with everyone else

What the plan should be is all of the recent graduates that got free season ticket, find out what they want/need for them to come back. If they want free parking, allow them to park over by the science building and then shuttle them over. Yea you don't make the money from parking or tickets, but then it's more a reason for them to come and tailgate/buy stuff inside the stadium. After these alumni do it a few times it will become a habit/normal thing for them to hopefully do leading to them next year hopefully buying tickets and the trend grows. ------------ Pairing with local communities programs as well, what about this idea? Find a way to pair up with TWU and bring over the ladies, heck even see if they would do a homecoming weekend and they attended the UNT football game for free... -------------- Yes it's not ideal to just give away tickets, but to me it's better to give away a ticket to someone than have the seat be empty. If someone is in the stadium, you can build that apperence it's a cool place to be or the place to be.. also, give you chances to sale good from the concessions and team store as well.

In the lot just to the east of the superpit, and even around the PEB? I was told they are wanting to shift parking to the outside parts of the campus.

Better yet, let the students/frats bring in Kegs! Also, go back to the throwing of the Tortillas! I remember when we did the bowl runs and I was like 12-13. When we would score, the goal within our group of people we went to the game with was to see who could toss it the farthest!

Could it be because after they tear down Fouts, that they will eventually end up building something there leading to more people parking on the East side of the Superpit?

It would be nice if WB was able to work the OKState, Mizzo, heck even Memphis connections go get these guys... But I would like to see schools like Kansas, Iowa State come here because they are P5s but they are P5s that are usually the whooping boys for the bigger programs, because we stand a better chance vs them and they recruit often in the area and likely bring a bigger following than schools like Indiana and others. Would also like to see the Pac12 schools. Would be nice to do them in 4-5 years after hopefully the IPF and other facilities have been built. Would be a nice way to present the program in terms of what we have to them when conference re-alignment comes up.

We can eventually get there, but again LT has a history of putting up great offenses (believe they were top 10 last year)... We can't even crack the top 100 :(

This years WR group is A LOT more talented than last years WR group. The question is now, do we have a QB that can get the ball to them enough. Fine wasn't accurate but the WRs didn't help either with a # of drops. Agreed... Hopefully we can have 30-40 catches from that Y spot being more of a safety blanket/checkdown/ 1st down receiver. Then the likes of Guyton/Rico/Smiley being the guys who work 10+ yards away.

Agreed it sucks to start out (in the professional sports field) but again that is why it is nice to have the school already have spot lined up with some of these organization and it has nothing do with getting people off the hill. The tidbit we are discussing was just talking about how to change the view of UNT from a Liberal Arts school to something else.

Most jobs with teams like the Roughriders and that are usually paid intern spots.. Which isn't the best pay but you get class credit/paid/ and real experience. They the school has connections to get students an actually career. Its both an Undergrad and Masters degree, but again its just recent creation within the last 3-5 years, I believe. Again, these degrees appeal to an college football recruit more than a music degree. Also, outside of the professional sport world, the sports management degree helps with things like running a citys parks departments.. A lot of money out there to be made in the public sports leagues..

We should get more production hopefully from the A spot in terms of having guys who have been in the system a full year. Also, it will be interesting to see how the TEs that we have now stack up vs TTs production as well.

Says Means is an LB now?

Yes, this hurts us because UNT is viewed as more of an arts school than sports school. But that can be changed I believe if the school (NS and WB and other admin) are willing to commit to the AD Program. UNT has been hurt by the recent history of the budget crisis that the AD Office ran into, what I mean by that is that if players/coaches see fields that are dry and other things just lagging behind it will leave a somewhat sour/unimpressed feeling for them. NS and WB have seemed willing so far to open the schools financial resources to go buyout a coach, to give a nice pay day to there football and basketball coach, propose plans for a new Soccer/Track stadium and rumors of an IPF (soon). The question is can we maintain this. We have to be able to maintain, and somewhat even overspend but wisely. It has been shown that schools see an uptick in enrollment/donations, etc when they have a successful sports program. I'm not saying for NS to go to WB and give him a blank check and say fill it out for what you need. NS has talked about turning this into a Tier 1 school in terms of athletics, now the question is can they/will they put the money where they said they would. Also, another thing that is important as well that will help us with recruits is the new types of degrees that they are just starting up and the network that these new programs are being connected with. UNT just recently started up a Sports Management degree with professional networks linked to the Stars, Dallas Cowboys and even The Star (which is right down the street from the Frisco Campus), FC Dallas, and the soon to be Rugby Team in Allen, among other international collection in the Premier League for soccer, and Rugby in New Zealand/Australia. They are planning on starting up an Athletic Admin degree as well. These may not seem like major things, but adding new degrees that appeal/interest kids that are involved with sports will help us in terms of recruiting/ changing the view of only being a liberal arts school.

The big question at WR is what happens after the top 3. Guyton, Rico, Smiley are ahead of the rest of the pack for different reasons... Rutherford has been someone who I think has always been banged up, Griffen/Darden/ White are unknowns in terms of what they can do at the college level. McIntire/Lawerence got spot time last year but nothing major. The spring game Duhon had a solid game, as did Rico and Griffen. If our top 3 can be healthy and produce that should lead to A LOT better results in terms of passing, which hopefully lead to some more successful drives. When this team was able to complete passes, it ran great, we just didn't seem to have great pass catchers most games. To me, we RS Darden and White.. allow them to bulk up get down the offense and let the guys like Duhon, Griffen, Lawerence fill the slot role. But if Darden is so talented that he is ahead of those guys, put him out there and use him early and often. While Buyers did not put up big #s at the WR spot, I think he will be missed greatly. He was someone who had a lot of experience and was a likely a calming influence to the younger guys... Can Smiley replace that?